Roof brace for box cars



J. M. COLEMAN AND K. F. NYSTROIVI.

ROOF BRACE FOR BOX CARS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1921.

gggggg Patentefl Dec. 12, 11922 II n roof construction for box cars,

.sible to attach a hoisting ing heavy objects,

areas Dec. i2, ieaa.

bran stars- JAMES M. COLEMAN AND KARL F. NYSTBOM,

0F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

ROOF BBACE FOR BOX CABS.

Application filed February 26, 1921. Serial No. 447,991.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JAMES M. COLEMAN and KARL F. NYSTROM, a citizen of the United States, and a subject of the King of Great Britain, respectively, and both residents of the city of Montreal, in the Province'of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful 1m.- proveinents in Roof Braces for Box Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and ex,- act description.

This invention relates to improvements in and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiicienttype of bracing applicable equally to new construction or to existing cars as a repair.

A further object is to provide means to assist the loading of heavy objects into a car.

At the present time, the roof frame of cars.

is of such light construction that it is impostackle or chain block to the roof of a car toassist in loadfor the reason that the load thus imposed would destroy the roof and also because there is no provision 'for the attachment of a tackle or block.

According to the present invention, a form of roof bracing is provided which affords means for attaching a tackle. This is preferably associated with a diagonal bracing in order that theimposed loads will not in uriously affect the roof structure if aplied at considerable angles.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention;--

Fig. 1 is a plan view of roof bracing desi nod for the centre of a-car.

ig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designate the roof plates or longitudinal side members of the roof and 12 the carlings, which span the width of the car and connect the plates 11 and which also form supports for to which the roof is fastened. These carlings are in modern construction pressed stee members having a considerable camber or arch, as shown in Figure 2, both for the sake of strength and to ive the necessary pitch to the roof. The car ings are, however, comparatively light members and their strength is entirely inadequate to support any great weight.

Accordin to the present invention, a carling isuse to form the compression memtruss is not very deep,

'erably of such opposite sides of the posed exactly in line, so that the effect pro the purlins, not shown,

l vided at each end of her of a truss, the tension member being a member such as a light channel 13 extending in a straight line across the car and connected at its ends to the plates 11, which are usually Z bars, by means of gusset lates 14.

A strut 15, is provided midway in t e length of'the truss and may be conveniently a U- shaped strap riveted to the tension member 13 and the compression member 12, as shown in Figure 2.' This construction forms a light and yet stiff truss which may be located at the centre or ends of a car. A book 16 may be connected to the centre of the truss to provide attachment for a tackle. Since the it would be subject to twisting if a load was applied transversely (thereof, as would occur in dragging a heavy object from the far end of a car to the doorway ,or from the centre of the car to either end. To overcome this possibility of bond-- ing or twisting1 the truss, a gusset plate 17 is connected to t her and diagonal braces 18 extended from the plate 17 to the side plates 11 at a suitable'distanceon each side of the truss, as clearlyv shown in Figure 1. The ends of these diagonal braces 18- may be connected to the plates 11 by gusset plates19 or in an other suitable manner. The braces are pre section that they the maximum of resistance to ending when under compression, a suitable section being the channel section shown. The braces on centre truss are disduced is of a continuous diagonal brace extending from side to side of the car. These braces, in addition to supporting the transverse truss against ben ing, provide diagonal bracing, which it is foun advisable to incorporate in steel frame cars to prevent the roof from twisting or to square up a twisted roof. The trussand bracin will preferably be provided at the centre 0 a car so as to be available from both doorways, but-it will be understood that a similar truss may be prothe car and connected to the car by diagonal braces extending from the truss toward the centre of the car. These end trusses will permit the attachment of a tackle to facilitate the removal of heavy objects from thecentre to the ends of a car and the centre truss will permit the attachment of a tackle to facilitate movement of heavy objects from the ends to the centre of a car and the loading or unloading of suchv obe centre of the tension mem-i will present jects. In new construction, it will be advisable to stagger the doors or to place the same toward one end of the car, so that the ends of the truss may be supported directly above or very close toan upright so as to relieve the members 11 of bending stresses.

In cases where it is inadvisable to use the hook 16, the hoisting tackle may be hooked into apertures 16 in the gusset plate 17.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. An attachment for car roofs comprising a straight transverse member located under a roof carling and connected at its ends to the carling and spaced at its center from the oarling, a strut rigidly connected between said member and carling, intermediate their ends and means for attaching a hoisting block to said member.

2. An attachment for car roofs, comprising a transverse member located under a roof carling and connected at its ends and center to the carling and forming with the Carling a truss and diagonal braces arranged to hold the truss against over-turning by a laterally applied load.

3. An attachment for car roofs, comprising a transverse member located under a roof carling and connected at its end and center to the carling and forming with the carling a truss and diagonal braces extending from the center of the member to the roof plates at points remote from the ends of the member to hold the truss against overturning by a laterally applied load.

4. An attachment for car roofs, comprising a straight, transverse member located under a roof Carling and connected at its ends to the ends of the carlings and to the u i ,ese,aee

roof plates and spaced from the oarling at its center, a strut rigidly connected between said transverse member and the carling under which it lies at a point intermediate the ends thereof, means for attaching a hoisting blok to said member and diagonal braces extending from the center of the member to the roof plates at points remote from the ends of the member.

'5. In combination with the roof plates and carlings of a car, a transverse member located under one ofthe carlings and connected at its ends to the ends of the carling. diagonal braces extending from the roof plates at points remote from the ends of the transverse member to the centre thereof. a gusset plate connecting adjacent ends of said diagonal members and underlying the transverse member. a strut disposed between. the transverse member and calling, and connected to the curling, and rivets connecting said strut, transverse member and gusset plate together.

6. A roof construction for cars comprising the combination with the side plates and carlings of a tension member connected at its ends and centre to one of the carlings and forming with the carling a truss, and diagonal braces extending from the centre of said transverse member to the plates at points remote from the ends of the transverse member and forming diagonal braces for the car roof and sway braces for the truss.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

JAMES M. COLEMAN. KARL F. NYSTROM. 

